North Captiva Island Things to do

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Two Friends Reconnect on a Secluded Island Off the Florida Gulf Coast

The secluded beach surrounded by trees on North Captiva Island

North Captiva Island brought two friends back together again after a pandemic interrupted their lives.

It didn’t help that roughly 1,000 miles stood between me in St. Louis and my friend Marie in Orlando. In search of a place to reconnect and chill, this secluded island brought peace, beauty, friendly locals, and amazing views.  Sounds of waves, the smell of the ocean, a place where the dolphins are entertainment and shelling is mesmerizing. It turned out to be perfect for a relaxing reunion. 


Two friends on the beach at North Captiva Island
Best Friends Reunite

THE TALE…

I HAD JUST STARTED to stick my toe into traveling again. The pandemic certainly put a halt to my travel for a while which made me begin to feel restless. I’m in the St. Louis area, and we were starting to head into the winter months again. My friend, Marie, lives in Orlando, and one day as we were chit-chatting on the phone, I mentioned that I was going to visit her. I needed to go…somewhere. And what better place than to visit a friend I hadn’t seen since the pandemic started than to meet on an island? It had been too long for two friends to be apart. She not only said, “let’s do it,” she also had something more in mind—a getaway for both of us.

We ended up on North Captiva Island, an island off the coast from Fort Myers. I’ve heard of Captiva Island for years, as Marie visits often. Being a local Floridian, Captiva, as she calls it, is her place to escape. I have never been. She booked us on “North” Captiva Island. A place that neither of us had ever visited.

North Captiva Island is a true escape. If you need a getaway, this is the place. Cars are not allowed on the island. It is accessible by plane and by boat or ferry. Golf carts are the primary means to get around on the island.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

  • Getting there: The only way to the island is by boat, ferry or plane.
  • Where to stay
  • Relax
  • Visit the beaches
  • Shelling
  • Dolphins
  • Nature Preserve
  • Fishing
  • Food: Groceries and Restarurants
  • What to know before you go

GETTING THERE…How to get to North captiva island

I AM FORTUNATE that my type-A friend dove into the planning. She also knew a bit more about the island than I did. North Captiva Island Club https://www.northcaptiva.com/ is who she chose to work with. Our rental house was through them. They walked her through the planning, what to bring, how we get to our rental, etc. They were very accessible and helpful.

I flew into Fort Myers, where Marie picked me up. We arrived at the North Captiva Island Club headquarters earlier than our scheduled evening shuttle which is located on Pine Island. A couple of gentlemen working for the club helped us load our luggage and coolers full of food onto the shuttle, taking us to the ferry. These same gentlemen unloaded our items from the shuttle and transferred them onto the ferry. When Marie signed the paperwork for the rental home, there was an option to request help with the luggage and coolers which she undoubtedly checked. I highly suggest opting for this help. Who wants to work when they’re trying to relax? Most homes are situated on stilts and require hauling all your gear up flights of stairs. Some homes, I am told, have elevators. Ours did not.

Taking the ferry at dusk was intoxicating. The sunset, being on the water, in a boat, the wind blowing my hair, birds – riveting. It was undoubtedly an excellent place to start a vacation. This sunset helped set the mood.  

By the time we arrived on the island, it was dark. The gentlemen loaded our items onto their golf cart, showed us to our own cart, and off we went in search of our home.  

WHERE TO STAY…on north captiva island

RENTAL HOMES are the main source of accommodation on the island.

Our rental was a lovely beach house called Dolphin Cottage. It was situated on the Northern curve of the island, facing Pine Island Sound and close to the Northern tip of the island that leads to the Gulf.  We could walk along the coast from our cottage, around the tip to the Gulf side, and feeling adventurous, continue to the public beach. Around the area of the tip of the island, we could view Cayo Costa in the distance.

  Our two-bedroom, two-bathroom cottage, with beachy serene décor, was perfect for the two of us and our need to relax vibes. BOTH bedrooms faced the water, as did the main living area. And all three areas had access to a deck by sliding doors. The view was dazzling. Waking up to the sound of the waves hitting the beach was comforting.

There are multitudes of homes for rent—many through the North Captiva Island Club. But there is another island club and many private rentals available that you can find through an online search. One day, we decided to mosey around the island, looking for that next house we may one day want to rent. Many had signs at the end of the drive with contact information.

WHAT TO DO…on north captiva island

RELAX, the best thing to do on North captiva island

THE FIRST ITEM on the list to do? Relax. The island lends itself to a nonchalant, take-it-easy pace. For me, I find it hard to relax at the beginning of my stay wherever I am. Both Marie and I had brought a little bit of work along. These days, we must. No way around it. No one desires to work while on vacation but if I must work, there is no better place to be doing it than a place in which I can peek over the top of my laptop and get a view of the ocean. Or hear the sounds of the dolphins playing in the water and the waves hitting the shore. And let’s not forget the smell of the salty sandy water. Those three senses combine to create a work environment that feels a bit more, unlike work at all.

We were there five nights. The first 2-3 are spent getting in to the relaxed vibe. Letting go of the stress and worry. Finally, on the 4th and 5th, we were super chill and not ready to go so I suggest staying longer than we did. That way, you can achieve that complete; “I live on an island” effect.

GO TO THE BEACH… Well yes, of course!

Two friends sitting facing the ocean on their private beach on North Captiva Island.
Our private beach

YES, WE HAD a private beach. But there were also a couple of lovely public beaches to visit. Keep in mind; the public beaches do not have any restroom facilities. But they have fantastic views as they are on the Gulf side. They also have more shell opportunities. I’ve never been to a beach that had so many shells! Those shells are on the beach and in the water, so it may be wise to bring some flip flops or sandals along to walk on them. Or walk very carefully.   

SHELLING…on north captiva island beaches

THESE ISLANDS ARE known for their shells. This is the first beach I have been to in which I could pull a conch shell out of the water and bring it home, making sure nothing lives in it, mind you.

Beautiful shells on a beach towel at the beach in North Captiva Island.
Shells I gathered on the beach

DOLPHINS…you see many around North captiva island

PAY ATTENTION TO the water… you will see dolphins. The first time I spotted them, I was NOT paying any attention. I was on my back, lying on the couch, looking up to the sky, outside on the deck of our home… that is when I heard it… “what the heck was that?!” I thought. I heard what sounded like a whale blowing air! I jumped up, and sure enough, there were 3-4 dolphins just off the water’s edge in front of our house. Better believe, I looked for them after that. Those dolphins visited us every day around 4 pm. They were feeding off the shore.

Dolphins swimming in the ocean off the coast of North Captiva Island.
Dolphins visiting our home every day around 4pm

NATURE PRESERVE…on the south end of north captiva island

ON OUR FIRST morning on the island, Marie and I strolled down the street to take in our new neighborhood. Upon coming around a bend, a local man stopped to see if we needed help. We must have looked like we were lost. (We soon realized, locals were always friendly and willing to help). As we started talking, and it turns out he lives on the island, recently purchasing a home for retirement. He is originally from an area in Pennsylvania my friend Marie is familiar with. She had visited it with a friend. He told us about the preserve, and the best way to see the preserve is by bicycle.

Get Bicycles

Some rental homes supply bicycles; ours did not. You can also rent them in town. He offered to lend us his bikes. A couple of days later, we took him up on that offer.

The roads on the island and in the preserve are sand. The trails in the preserve are much deeper sand. The BIG ASS tires on our borrowed bikes came in handy.

We entered the preserve off Rum Road. Instead of following what looked like the main trail to the right, we followed a smaller path to the left (it’s good to get to know the locals, this was also his suggestion.) It was hot, and, at times, I had to jump off the bike to avoid being smacked in the face by a branch. I saw a massive turtle on this smaller trail. But by the time I got my camera ready, he pulled back and hid in the brush along the route.

A Secluded Beach

Eventually, this smaller trail caught up to the main trail, leading us to a secluded beach. Our new local friend had told us about this beach when we picked up the bikes. If I had known about the beach ahead of time, we could have spent the day there with our beach gear. No one was around. It was entirely secluded.

We had an idea when entering the preserve that we could make it to the very Southern tip of the island. There is a house located there. There are NO roads to get to it. You either go through the preserve or I assume the owners use a boat. At one time the Kohler family owned the home, we believe. I do not think they do any longer. Anyway, our dreams of making it to that house were quickly dashed as the deep sand, heat and the relaxing secluded beach drew our attention away from the lofty goal. It almost seemed impossible to just make it back to civilization! But we did. We rested up on the beach and headed back with a lot of laughing and my trying to capture our shenanigans on video as I’m navigating on my bike. It was a tremendous amount of fun.

FISHING…

MARIE AND I do not fish (big surprise). However, MANY people do come here to fish. Every day we would see fishermen by the docks just off our private beach. We would also see fishermen on the public beaches. Some fishermen stand on the water’s edge on the beach with their fishing poles. Others wade into the water with a fishing net. I saw one man do this and he pulled ashore a massive catch of fish. I was flabbergasted at how many fish were just feet from where I was wading in the water.

FOOD…what to do about food on north captiva island

RESTAURANTS ARE FEW on the island. There is a small local convenience store or grocery store that carries limited items, in case you must have something. However, if the store is out of stock on something, you must wait for them to receive another delivery from the mainland. It is essential to bring food.

BRing food

North Captiva Island Club walked us through how to bring our food, which is vital for a stay here. Instead of carrying our food and transferring it to one of their required totes, Marie purchased a tote. She filled it to the brim with food. We also had a cooler with meats, eggs, milk, and anything that needed to be chilled. The directions from the club said that ice would need to be discarded out of the cooler before loading on the ferry because of the extra weight it added to the ferry. However, the gentlemen who loaded our cooler on the ferry said that was hogwash. So, the ice stayed.

mainstay

There are a few restaurants available. Mainstay is the central watering hole with cocktails and good food, outdoor covered seating next to the water, a gift shop and ice cream shop on the second floor, and just a relaxed beach vibe. This was the no-nonsense, easy, and refreshing place to go. Marie and I found ourselves here several times. It appeared to me that this was the hangout. The informal, need to have a quick meal or drink, hang with friends’ kind of place.

Bev at Mainstay Restaurant holding Conch Fritters.
Mainstay

Mango’s island cafe

After a hot day on the beach, we headed to Mango’s Island Café for icy beverages. Cold frosty beachy drinks aren’t usually my thing. However, I break that rule when I’m on beach time. How can I be on an island and not have an island drink?! They also have food here, but we did not eat here, so I cannot comment.

Two island drinks at Mango's restaurant.
Island drinks at Mango’s after a day at the beach.

The boat house

The Boat House is the restaurant we had understood was the best. The “nice formal restaurant” and “get reservations or you may miss it” … I’d say, “eh.” It was not formal, it was dated and although the food was okay, it wasn’t great.   

over the waterfront restaurant

EAT HERE …The restaurant to FIGHT for a table at is Over the Waterfront Restaurant.  We hadn’t heard about it before our arrival. However, the locals told us that we MUST eat here.

Make Reservations

We called many times trying to get reservations … no answer. We decided the best action would be to show up that afternoon and try to get reservations for that evening or any evening for that matter.

It’s an Old Fishing Hut

The restaurant is an old fishing hut on the water. It is very tiny with maybe five tables inside.

The chef and his server were inside preparing for the evening. To our disappointment, they did NOT have any room for us – at all – nothing all week! But Marie saw an opportunity. Being a Disney aficionado and cast member, she saw something … his hat had an image of Figment on it. Figment is a small purple dragon, the mascot at Journey to Imagination at Epcot, and symbolizes imagination. Marie struck up a conversation regarding Figment (mind you, I had no idea who Figment was). At this, he pulled out a small stuffed toy of Figment from his chef apron. By the time we exited, she not only scored a reservation for that evening, but we also took our picture with the chef and was placed at a prime table for dinner—Disney magic in action.

Bev and Marie with the Chef of Over the Waterfront Restaurant on North Captiva Island.
The Chef, Marie and I – he was a hoot!

By Far the Best Restaurant

This was by far the best meal we had on the island. They only serve one meal per night. Once that meal is complete, they close. One … meal … per night! I left, not only so incredibly stuffed with remarkable food but also feeling special. We had a front-row seat for all the meal preparation—a once-in-a-lifetime memory. The experience we were granted by this chef at this restaurant was a memory to cherish.

An amazing food photo of food at Over the Waterfront Restaurant
Amazing meal

I highly recommend placing reservations here as soon as you know you will be visiting the island.

Caution, you may be tempted to lick the bowl of your Bananas Foster dessert.

Bev sitting in Over the Waterfront Restaurant with the Chef working to prepare our meal behind her.
The Chef working behind me

KNOW BEFORE YOU GO

You must bring food

YOU MUST HAVE food. With limited restaurant choices and no actual grocery store, you will need food. We ate breakfast every morning at our rental home and cooked dinner a couple of times that week. Bringing your food can take some preparation. Luckily, my friend did all of this. I am so thankful for her. She did the grocery shopping, got a tote, and had it all loaded in her truck when she picked me up at the airport which was a good deal of work to be adequately prepared.

You can only get to the island by boat or plane. We used a ferry through the club from which we rented the house. But there is another club on the island, and you can also charter a boat ride and if you fly, the island also has its own airstrip.

The airplane runway on the Island.
Airstrip on the island.

Renting stays with North captiva island club

We rented our home through North Captiva Island Club. Their shuttle took us from their office on Pine Island to the ferry organized by them. We left our truck in their parking lot during our stay and it was fine.

you’re on an island, plan to stay awhile

Once you’re on the island, it can be costly to charter a boat ride back to the mainland or one of the other islands so plan to stay. That’s why you go there anyway, right?

The island is car free

The island is car-free. All the roads are sand. You use an electric golf cart to get around. Most rental homes supply a golf cart but confirm before renting and be sure to charge the battery every night.

the island’s north end’s roads can flood

The island’s North end can get more flooding on the roads than the South end of town. We were on the North end. Although our street was fine, roads near us would flood and be unpassable if walking in the mornings. The South end did not have this issue. And by the afternoon, most of the water was gone.

the locals are friendly

Locals are friendly, hospitable, and ready to help.

A bottle of Champagne and orange juice on the beach in the sand with the ocean behind them.
Mimosas on the beach.

FUN STORY

The golf cart

PARTWAY THROUGH OUR stay, our hosts arrived with a new and improved golf cart. We were impressed and happy to be rid of our little cart for this new and improved cart. The story was that this new cart came with the home, and it had been in the shop. Well … it turns out, it should have stayed in the shop.

That day we decided to forgo the cart and we walked to the public beach, along the shore from our house. Marie and I found ourselves separated. I was walking to meet her back at the public beach. Not knowing I was on my way, she started walking back to the house taking a different route than I. So, we didn’t pass each other.

Upon arriving back at the home, she tried to start our new golf cart, but it turns out it was dead, it would not start. She started walking to town. The goal was to get our old dependable golf cart back. Seeing her walking on the road, a lovely older couple offered her a lift (the second time a local stopped and asked if help was needed). Fortunate for me, Marie had them drive her to the beach where I had my behind in the sand soaking up the sun. Marie was brilliant and had brought the makings for mimosas. Mimosas on the beach. That’s how we made the best of a not-so-good situation.

MImiosas on the beach

After finishing our mimosas and deciding we needed to rescue ourselves from the hot sun, we started to walk to town. You see, being our new golf cart was dead, we had no way to get around the island but to walk. So walking is what we did, champaign bottle in hand. Another local took pity on us and let us hop on the back of his golf cart (the third time a local asked if help was needed) and took us straight to the main office in town, where we found our trusty old cart and headed back home to our fantastic home on the water.

We loved our island adventure

 WE LOVED EVERY minute of our little adventure on this island. North Captiva Island is worth visiting. It’s one of those places that forces you to relax, giving you the time and space to take your time, breathe, and enjoy everything the island offers without interruption. With all the things to do, North Captiva Island is a place to add to your list to visit.

You can learn more about me by following this link at Faries Travel Tales and keep in touch with me here!

See more of our adventure by following Faries Travel Tales on Instagram Beverly Faries (@fariestraveltales) • Instagram photos and videos


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